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Abraham Lincoln is elected President
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The Emancipation Proclamation is issued
This document legally freed slaves in areas of the South in rebellion -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
Slavery is outlawed in the United States -
Founding of the Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan, an organization formed to intimidate blacks and other ethnic and religious minorities, first met in Maxwell House, Memphis. The Klan was the first of many secret terrorist organizations organized in the South for the purpose of reestablishing white authority. -
The Black Codes were Enacted
The Black Codes, a series of laws passed by Southern states to define freedman's rights and responsibilities, imposed serious restrictions upon former slaves. -
Fourteenth Amendment ratified
Thisamendment guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law to all citizens. The amendment would also grant citizenship to blacks. -
Fifteenth Amendment ratified
The amendment guaranteed black Americans the right to vote.